The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-07-29
WHAT ALLIED HIM.
Sad Story of a Boy Sick With
Nostalgia"

Farmer Connover strobe into the
house, took off his fur cap and thick
mittens, and unwound numerous kinks
of red wooden comforter from his ample
throat Then he sat down by the
warm wood fire and said to his wife:
Seems like / had somethin' to tell
We. Sairy Ann, but | can't for the life
of me reitember il meow"
"Was it somebody got married?" in
guired Mrs. Connover. who was
bustling about setting the table for
supper.
mo, didn't seem as twas. Lemme
think" and he pressed metEtative
forefinger on that portion of his fore
head where he seemed to locate the
faculty of memory.
''Is anybody dead that we are ae-
quainted withPn
SNo, no. tain't eyether marryin' or
dyin' as l kin see. Gurus how / do for
get things sometimes +"
1--WE amt heard from Ben for quite
awhile" suggested Mrs. Connover.
That's it,'' cried the farmer, Jump
ing to his feet rs sprightly as a log.
'.Tain't from Ben, leastwise it ain
his handwritin', but it's a letter. I've
got it right here in my pocket"
'.Do tellr' said his wife, dropping
the dishes she was holding in promis-
ouous heap. IF it amt from Ben,
who is il from?"
.'It's writ to you," said her husband,
producing it at last
Mrs Connover reached up TO the
clock shelf and took down her Bible
reading speetacles.
.sIt's a strange hand tc me-" she
said. scanning it carefully. must be
some of Cicely's folks"
So she stepped to the door leading
above stairs and called at the top OF
her voice:
.'C-i-c-e-l-y! C-i-c-e-l-si''
Here l am, mother" answered q
sweet voice. What is it?''
For every infection of her good
mothers voice was familiar to her. and
this one bristled with exclamation
points.
Here is a letter in a strange hand
write. Do you know who it is from?''
handing it to her.
s'Why, it is addressed to YOU. mother
1t seems to me the easiest way to find
out would be just to open anc read it. >
"Wellsthcn, do" said her mother.
''Tm so fidgeted thinking about Ben
off there alone that can't open it
This isn't any thing about Ben, >
said Cicely, deftly opening the envel
ope after she had admired the smart
college style supereription. Its from
some lawyer or fruit-tree agent, likely
on business.
''What would he write TO your mother
for?' suggested Father Connover gruf
| iy.
Cicely read it over TO herself first
and at once changed color.
at is about Ben, mother" she said
the tears rushing into her eyes and hei
voice, she is sick, and this is from tbs
doctor who is taking care of him. Oh
mother, don't cry Ben needs you
Keep up your strength"
"What ails himP" asked his father il
an unsteady tone.
Cicely read the doctors letter.
| He said thas Ben was his patient, anC
he was doing all he could for him, bu
his parents had better come, as it re
quired more skill than he-the phys
ician-had to cure him. He ended b.
saying that the boy was suffering from
a severe attack of nostalgia.
''What in the world is that? | nevel
heard of it BEFORE" exclaimed Mr.
Connover.
What is it, CicelyP" asked Mrs
IConnover. Cicely was graduate o
the Normal school, and her parent
expected her to know every thing.
She shook her head.
at means that we must go to Bel
Just as soon as we can. If there ha,
been any hope the doctor would hav,
said so."
She cried and worked at the SAM
time. Ben, her only brother, was he
idol. She had opposed his going ava,
from first to last, but the father wa
wiser.
.'If the boy amt contented here. lie
him go to the city, and clerk it for
year or two. He's king of two hand
anywhere" said the gruff old farmer
anu Dtli Iittu DcCh III dilu JOO HIOus
to let them know.
They took the evening train. At tn
depot some of their friends had gatf
cred to hear the news.
OF each and all, they asked the sam
question.
"Hev you ever heerd of Nastalgy?
And none of them had ever heard {
it, but all agreed that it must be
dreadful thing to have such a dii1icu
name.
When they reached the city they ha
cried and worried themselves sick.
At least the two women had. Th
: father, with the stoicism of his kline
had beat constant tattoo on the CT
window and whistled an accompan
ment-all the time he was crying in h
heart:
"Oh, Absalomi my soni my sonl''
There was no one to meet them, 6
no one was interested in their comm
except Ben and the doctor, and the
neither of them had heard of their il
tentions.